Eskom has awarded 138 bursaries to aspiring engineering students from various tertiary institutions across South Africa in an effort to rebuild its shrinking engineering workforce.

“In recent years, Eskom has faced significant workforce reductions, partly due to a 2016 World Bank report that underestimated the number of skilled professionals required for operational efficiency,” the utility said.

“Public scrutiny, financial constraints and below cost-reflective tariffs set by the National Energy Regulator of South Africa contributed to a 30% decrease in engineering staff between 2017 and 2022 despite rising electricity demand. This decline has impacted operational performance, prompting Eskom to prioritise workforce stabilisation and strengthening.”

The bursary handover ceremony took place at Eskom’s Megawatt Park headquarters on Tuesday, February 11. “Eskom bursars are essential to our engineering pipeline. As an organisation rooted in engineering expertise, Eskom primarily supports studies in various disciplines of engineering to ensure our workforce can meet current and future energy needs,” said Eskom’s Acting Group Executive: Human Resources Monde Bala.

The bursary programme aims to cultivate a new generation of engineers in training who will move into specialist roles in Eskom’s generation and distribution and National Transmission Company South Africa, Bala said. Eskom has also prioritised gender inclusivity with a goal to ensure 50% of bursary beneficiaries are women. Currently, 39% of recipients are women.

“South Africa continues to face a critical shortage of engineering and technical skills, exacerbated by a disconnect between educational qualifications and industry demands,” said Eskom’s Group Chief Executive Dan Marokane.

“We are committed to bridging the gap between educational qualifications and industry demands by equipping students with the expertise needed to drive the country’s energy sector forward.”

Eskom’s Board Chairperson Mteto Nyati noted the long-term importance of the bursary initiative: “We have this huge responsibility and it is reassuring to see that the company will continue to function for another 100 years because of the investment we make in the young population of our country.”

Over 10 000 South Africans have benefited from Eskom’s bursary scheme since its inception in the 1970s.